Cardinals, Kyler Murray Seek Ways To Get Wide Receivers Catches

As Trey McBride emerges, coaches want to get wideouts more involved

Dec 20, 2023 at 04:14 PM

Darren Urban

azcardinals.com

Rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson (right) was held without a catch Sunday but he was able to assist tight end Trey McBride in signaling first down after a McBride catch.

Kyler Murray smiled, because unlike his head coach – who understandably isn't getting in the weeds of who is catching the ball when his team is generating more than 400 yards of offense – the quarterback is hyperaware.

"I notice who I'm throwing it to," Murray said Wednesday. "I know who hasn't touched it. I understand all that and I feel it too. We've got to find ways to not necessarily spread it around but get those guys touches because they are our playmakers."

Who has not touched it, at least over the last couple of games, has been the Cardinals wide receiver corps.

The feeling is odd, for a team that has had Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, DeAndre Hopkins and a handful of other standout wideouts over the last 20 years. Tight end was always an afterthought, except now Trey McBride is putting up Pro Bowl numbers and has emerged as Murray's top target.

In itself, McBride's emergence isn't the reason of a drop in wide receiver production. The last two games, Murray has targeted a wide receiver 21 times, but they have made just six catches for 45 yards. Of course, in the wind and rain of Pittsburgh two games ago, Murray completed just 13 passes (11 to tight ends) as the Cardinals rode running back James Conner much of the second half.

In last weekend's loss to the 49ers, the Cardinals had 436 yards of offense and 234 yards rushing. In the moment, the wide receiver issues were low on the priority list.

But Murray said after the game he was as frustrated as the wideouts in not being able to deliver them the ball, and the message from everyone this week is that it will change.

"There is a moment when it's more like, 'Hey are your top guys touching the ball, are they impacting the game?'" offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said. "In the course of the game we might have that conversation, 'Hey let's call these two plays and try and get him the ball.' Sometimes it goes there, sometimes it doesn't. Kyler is doing a nice job of making sure the ball is going where it is supposed to and not forcing the ball."

Said coach Jonathan Gannon, "We need to get the receivers more involved."

Nowhere has it been more noticeable than with Marquise Brown, who is dealing with a heel injury that has ended his game prematurely in each of the last two outings. When Brown has played, he has been targeted just three times – all in the Pittsburgh game – without a reception.

Brown has been battling his injury for a few weeks, derailing what he had hoped would be a big year with his free agency scheduled in March. Gannon said the Cardinals need Brown healthy "to help us win" but he was unable to practice Wednesday.

So too was Greg Dortch, who was the most productive wideout against the Niners with two catches for 15 yards ( Rondale Moore had two catches for five yards.)

Rookie Michael Wilson, who returned from a neck injury last game, was targeted three times in 65 offensive snaps but did not have a reception.

"It's a difficult question to answer," Wilson said. "Sometimes, that's just how games go regardless. I think it was more of a one-off game or a couple games in a row, maybe the receivers haven't had a good chunk of production with the offense, but I think that's a good challenge for us to continue to create more separation and make more plays when the ball is thrown our way. Ultimately, we have to take accountability for that low production and perform better."

Murray did nearly have a 60-yard bomb to Moore in Pittsburgh but Moore couldn't hold on to the catch. He did hit Moore for a beautiful 33-yard touchdown in that game, but it was wiped out on a holding penalty.

"Practice has to translate to the game," Brown said after the 49ers loss. "We have the guys to do it."

McBride is playing so well he should remain Murray's top pass catcher, but as defenses key on him more often, there will be opportunity.

Murray knows this, and he understands that as the QB, he is in the middle of everything.

"Every quarterback coach, every offensive coordinator they are going to tell you that's his job," Murray said. "Don't worry about if the receivers are mad or frustrated about getting the rock, which they have every right to. Everyone wants to make plays. It's their career. I would expect nothing different, so I get it.

"I think that's part of the quarterback position -- listen to what they are saying with a grain of salt and 'Yeah, I'm trying to get you the ball' but at the end of the day we're all just trying to win. You look at stats, (Brown) was leading the league damn near in receptions through the first six games (in 2022) before we both got hurt. It's tough. I get it. I think going forward we will be better."

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Arizona Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck (45) during practice at the Dignity Health Training Facility on Thursday, December 21, 2023 in Tempe, AZ.